Silent Skies
by Arctic Angel
Summary: A homeless girl gets the chance to prove that she really can be something. My first attempt at a lengthy fic, so we'll see.
1. Chapter 1

Silent Skies  
  
Chapter 1  
  
----  
  
Maddie sat angrily against a wall, staring up at the cloudless sky. There she had sat most of the day, trying to release her feelings upon the cold, heartless sky. The girl sighed, then looked down at the people walking down the main street of Goldenrod City. Those who did look her way ignored her.  
  
The girl felt angry all over again. No one ever paid any attention to her. One look at her old, dirty clothes and she was not worth anyone's attention. She frowned, and glared at the people. One woman raised her eyebrows when she saw the grumpy look. But nothing more than that. That was all it ever was.  
  
Maddie shook her head and got up angrily. There was no point sitting there. Just looking at the people made her far too mad. She rounded the corner, and then another, escaping the ignorant glances of the people. They had no idea how it was to be on the streets. She walked down the dank alleyway with a dangerous hint to her walk. Anyone who knew her stayed away when she was in this sort of mood, which seemed to be very often nowadawys.  
  
She rounded another corner, and caught sight of a homeless boy, sitting next to his fire pokemon. The half-starved pokemon was doing it's best to warm the boy, but it could hardly warm itself. In the dim light, the pokemon was unrecognisable, but the girl suspected it was some sort of canine. Probably one of those unwanted crosses.  
  
'Oh, It's you.' Maddie said.  
  
'Hi, Maddie. Uh... do you want to sit with us? Steel could warm you too.' The boy replied.  
  
Maddie looked breifly at the pokemon. It gave her a look which begged her not to.   
  
She glared at it. 'No thanks. I'll be alright.'  
  
The boy shrugged. 'If you say so.'  
  
Maddie turned, and made her way to her own makeshift home. It was hardly more than cardboard and junk. She sighed, then lay down, and tried to ignore the creeping cold. She sighed. If only she had a companion to warm her, just as the boy had. She shivered, then drifted into a light sleep.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Morning came with a nasty bite of freezing air. Maddie sat up, blinking, then heaved herself up onto her feet. Nothing was better to shake off the cold than a long run to nowhere. Certainly staying in her cardboard wouldn't help. She frowned, then ran up a side street to reach the main road. At least she knew all the alleys well. She jogged down the street, trying not to notice the cold.   
  
She ran hard, further than she normally did. This morning, nothing seemed like it mattered. For once, she wasn't angry at the people for ignoring her. She turned into an alley, slowing down. She stopped, and looked around. This place wasn't too bad, she noted. It had many overhangs, to keep out the rain, and it was in the right spot to catch the sun in the evening. She squinted into the shadows. In the morning, this place was fairly dark. It was hard to tell what lived here. A place like this probably had many inhabitants. It was just too good.  
  
But as Maddie looked, she could see no-one. She frowned. Why was there no-one? This place was too good to be empty. She strode down the cobbled path, glancing around. Nothing. Complete silence. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of people beginning to move around. But ahead of her, there was nothing.   
  
She shook her head, then turned a corner. Suddenly, a huge dog jumped out, snarling and snapping. She screamed, and ran the other way. The dog lunged after her. It had a chain attached to it's collar, so that it dangled behind, but the dog was so big and powerful that it seemed to make no difference.   
  
The girl ran as hard as she could, suddenly realising why there was no-one. With a dog like this in the neighborhood, nobody even had a chance of setting up here. She bolted around a corner, and scrambled up a fence. If she was lucky, the dog couldn't climb, or jump. She leapt off the top of the fence, and ran down the alley. She turned for a split second to see the dog take one giant leap, clearing the fence easily.   
  
Maddie gasped, and bolted around a corner. There was a ladder there that led to a roof. Perfect. A dog can't climb ladders. She climbed up, and onto the roof. She caught sight of the dog in a patch of light, and saw it was a Houndoom. She shrank back, afraid. Those things were the most agile canines in the world. She got up, and ran over the roofs. She turned back, and the Houndoom had got up onto the roof. She screamed again, and leapt down off the roof.  
  
She landed in a pile of cardboard, softening her fall. She got up, and ran into a small alleyway nearby. She splashed through a puddle, then leapt over a pile of old wood, with nails sticking out of it. Without looking back, she vaulted a fence, then ran though another alley. She turned, and saw the Houndoom run over the fence. It's chain caught on the fence, and for a moment it was slowed, but soon it had torn through the flimsy wooden structure, and was tearing after her again.  
  
Maddie panicked, and jumped over a metal fence. She turned, and backed up, but failed to see an object laying in her way, and tripped over it. Her eyes widened and she pushed herself backwards as the dog reached the fence. It snarled, and saw that she wasn't going anywhere. As she struggled to get up, it leapt over the fence, and lunged at her.   
  
The girl got up and ran around a corner, right into a dead end. She gasped, then turned to wait for the canine. She could hear the snapping and growling of the dog, but it hadn't come into view yet. She frowned, and peeked around the corner. The dog was stuck, it's chain wedged in a protruding bar. This time, the fence had been strong enough to hold the dog, but it was already groaning under the pressure. Maddie backed up, and ran off, trying to get as far from the mad Houndoom as possible.  
  
Maddie slowed, trying to calm her racing heart. It was alright now. She was safe. She turned another corner, and stopped. A soft whimpering caught her attention almost immediately. She frowned, and looked around. All this alley had was a pile of scraps. The girl stepped over to the pile. The cries were almost certainly coming from there. She pulled away a large piece of cardboard, and moved a couple of cans. For a moment, she thought there was nothing there. Then, a little movement caught her attention. She bent down and moved the rubbish away from it. The animal was tiny, and very injured. She picked it up softly, and held it against her chest. Looking around, Maddie ran out of the alleyway, and made her way home. 


	2. Chapter 2

Silent Skies  
  
Chapter 2  
  
----  
  
Maddie looked down at the small creature in her arms. It looked better than when she had found it, but it still looked fairly pitiful. She sighed, then stepped into the Goldenrod Pokemon center.  
  
It was almost empty, just a trainer on the PC and another just leaving. The girl walked up to the counter and paused.  
  
'Uh.. Excuse me?' She asked.  
  
The nurse looked down at her, then glanced upwards to check if there wasn't anyone else she could serve first. Her eyes lingered on the trainer at the PC, then dropped down to look at Maddie.   
  
'Can I help you?'  
  
The girl fought to keep calm.  
  
'Can you tell me what type of Pokemon this is?' she asked, irritated.  
  
The nurse looked at the creature. She then picked it up, but held it slightly away from her. Then, she looked at Maddie, obviously dissaproving of what she had done to it. Maddie frowned, and crossed her arms.  
  
'I don't know.' The nurse said, displaying a false smile. 'You'll have to come with me.'  
  
She turned and walked down a hallway, with Maddie following. Near the end, she turned off into a room.  
  
'Wait here.' She said, forgetting to add 'Please'.  
  
Maddie leant up against the wall, irritated. This visit better be worth it.  
  
A little while later, the nurse came back, face pale. Maggie noticed she did not have the pokemon with her.  
  
'Where did you get that pokemon?' She asked.  
  
Maddie stood up.  
  
'I found it laying, half-dead under a pile of cardboard in an alleyway.' The girl said, mattter-of-factly.  
  
The nurse took a step backwards.  
  
'Professor Birch!' She called, turning back into the room.  
  
A professor on a white lab coat came out, curious.   
  
The nurse explained where Maddie had found her pokemon.  
  
Birch blanched. The nurse nodded and went into the room to pick up the pokemon.  
  
'Do you know what pokemon you have here??' he demanded of Maddie.  
  
'No, that's why I brought it here.' Maddie snapped back, now thouroughly annoyed.  
  
Birch straightened. The nurse returned, and the girl noticed that she was holding it much closer than she had before.  
  
'This pokemon, is one of the three Legendary Dogs. It is an Entei, the only one of it's kind in the entire world!' The man said, trying to remain calm, but not suceeding.  
  
Maggie's eyes widened, but she kept her face unemotional.  
  
'Thankyou, I'll have it back now.' She said, reaching for the tiny Entei.  
  
The nurse frowned, and tightened her grip on the pokemon.  
  
'Do you think it wise to give such a valuable pokemon to such a... poor girl?' The nurse whispered to the Professor.  
  
Maddie heard, and clenched her fists. How dare they!  
  
The professor sighed. 'We must.'  
  
The nurse paused, then nodded, and gave the pokemon back to the girl.  
  
Maddie hugged her pokemon, then looked up at the two adults.  
  
'Can you heal it too?' She asked.  
  
The nurse looked at her oddly, then suddenly realised what she was asking.  
  
'Of course.' The walked up to the front of the Pokemon center, and the nurse quickly healed the Entei.  
  
The nurse opened her mouth to advise the girl as to how to look after the Entei, but Maddie had already turned to leave.  
  
'Thankyou.' She said, not sure if she meant it or not.  
  
As Maddie stepped outside, her heart leapt. An Entei! She looked down at the tiny pokemon, and smiled, for the first time in almost a full year.   
  
The baby looked up at her, mouth open. Already, she could see the red and yellow markings around it's face, as well as the light green puff behind it's neck.  
  
The girl skipped forward, then stopped suddenly.  
  
What was she going to feed it?  
  
The baby growled gently, then settled down into her arms and fell asleep.  
  
Maddie shook her head. She would figure that out later. Right now, she wanted to get back home, and make her baby a proper home. It wouldn't be much, but it would be better than nothing.  
  
The girl jogged down the alleyway, reaching her 'home' in less time than she normally did. As she arrived, the sun set, bathing her in a crimson light. Maddie smiled again. For the first time, she actually considered her life could be something else other than what it had already been - poor, homeless and cold.  
  
Collecting her few blankets, Maddie made a small nest for the Entei. She lifted the baby pokemon into the bed, and sat back, to watch.  
  
The little Entei made a few noises, then settled down into the blankets, and fell right asleep.   
  
The girl wished she could do the same.  
  
Without the few blankets, her bed was even more uncomfortable, but she didn't mind. She would rather have an uncomfortable night than deprive her Entei of any bed at all.  
  
She closed her eyes, and listened to the soft breaths of the pokemon. Maybe, just maybe, there might be some hope.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Maddie woke up to the noise of someone emptying their trash. She frowned, then looked over to make sure her baby was still there.  
  
It was.  
  
She got up, and decided to go get some food for herself and the pokemon.  
  
The girl took one last look at her pokemon, then jogged around the corner, humming to herself.  
  
A moment later, she nearly bumped into the boy she had seen a few nights ago, with his pokemon. He had just emerged from a cove in the wall.  
  
'Maddie?' he asked, confused. He had never seen her smile, let alone be happy.  
  
'Hello, Jay.' She smiled.  
  
The boy raised his eyebrows. 'What's up?'  
  
Maddie smirked at him. 'You'll see.'  
  
'Come on!'  
  
'Can you help me get some food?' She asked. 'Like, enough for me and someone else small?'  
  
Jay looked at her, trying to think of another reason she might want food for two. 'Alright...' He said hesitantly.  
  
She smiled again. 'Thanks.'  
  
The boy shook his head, amazed. He then turned, and whistled to his pokemon, who came shuffling out of the cove.  
  
'Let's go.'  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
A little while later, the trio returned to the cove, carrying two half cans of soup, a nearly-full carton of milk, and a large pile of leftovers.  
  
'That worked well.' Maddie commented, observing the food.  
  
'Yeah.' The boy seperated the food.  
  
A few minutes later, the girl walked away with a few leftovers, the milk and one can. It was difficult to hold all the items, especially because the can was sharp, and the milk leaked if it was held too tightly.  
  
As she walked, she suddenly realised that her Entei could have wandered off after she left, or someone could have taken it!  
  
She began to run, not caring about the leaking milk.  
  
At last she reached her place, and her eyes darted over to the bed.  
  
Empty. 


	3. Chapter 3

Silent Skies  
  
Chapter 3  
  
----  
  
Maddie gasped, and hurriedly put down the food she was carrying. Looking around, she pushed aside the bed, hoping that her pokemon was still nearby. When she failed to find it amongst the mess by her bed, she dashed forward, searching her particular alleyway. Nothing.  
  
She moved forward, looking through everything that could possibly hide a small animal. Just then, the alleyway split into three, creating a much larger area for the Entei to get lost in. She looked up the right path, saw nothing, then looked ahead. Still nothing. Now, she looked left, hoping to see something that would indicate where the baby was. Her eyes lingered there a moment, wishing to see anything.  
  
Just then, as if responding to her wish, a pile of paper shuffled and collapsed slightly. Maddie bit her lip and raced forward, then dropped to her knees and searched through the rubbish. Suddenly, her hands hit something furry, and with a sigh of releif, lifted a mischevious looking puppy out of the pile.  
  
The girl hugged the pokemon to her chest, thanking whoever looked down upon them that her baby was safe. She smiled, and stood up, taking the Entei back to her place.  
  
Maddie looked the pokemon with a wry smile on her face.  
  
'How did I get attached to you so quickly?' She asked it. 'I've never been attached to anything in my life!'  
  
Setting the Entei down, she reached backwards for the food she had gathered. Her fingers brushed over the milk, then dropped down onto the can.  
  
'Ah!' She gasped as the ragged edge of the can caught her finger and tore the skin. Maddie stuck her fingers into her mouth, then searched around for any sort of cloth. There was nothing except Entei's bed. She bit back the pain, then decided not to use the cloth there. She sighed, then looked around for anything that could be used to hold soup. Again nothing. Trying not to get frustrated, she picked up the can carefully with her undamaged hand and poured a little bit onto the ground in front of the Entei. The pokemon sniffed at it, confused, then lapped it up greedily as it realised the substance was edible.  
  
Maddie smiled, despite the fingers in her mouth. It was wonderful to have something to cheer you up. Usually, a life on the streets was fairly serious, even though the street kids here were always willing to help others if they could. Helping someone now could end up saving your life later. Debts did that. It was strange though. One might think that they would keep to themselves, save everything for themselves, to survive. Maybe they did. Maybe it was only this particular area that was like that.  
  
She shrugged off her thoughts, and poured more soup onto the ground. Maddie shuffled backwards, and leaned up against the wall. Next to her, a plank of wood leaned up against the wall. With her free hand, she set down the soup can, picked the wood up, and placed it on the ground beside her. Wood was always useful. In some way or another.   
  
Looking back towards her Entei, she felt almost ashamed. Already, it was such a noble creature, and yet it had to eat food off the ground. She shook her head, and looked back at the wood, thinking. Suddenly, an idea hit her. Looking closer, there was a patch of softer wood - wet or rotten, perhaps. If that could be scooped out, she would at least have some sort of container to hold liquids. She couldn't very well pour milk onto the ground. It would roll right down the slope.  
  
Taking her fingers out of her mouth, Maddie looked over them. It hadn't stopped bleeding fully, but it would do. Grabbing a peice of metal she found underneath the cardboard, she began to scoop bits of soft wood out of the centre of the plank. Once, she stopped to pour a little more soup out, for fear of Entei cutting itself, but soon was back to making her bowl. In a few minutes, she had made herself a crude bowl in the wood. While it was not anywhere near perfect, she still was proud of it. Just then, she realised she had never tried to make anything before, just make do with what she had. Maddie smiled, wondering what caring for her pokemon would get her to do next.  
  
She reached for the milk, and poured a little into her bowl. A little bit soaked in, but it mostly stayed in the hole she had poured it in. She smiled again, and pushed it over to Entei, who immediately emptied it. Maddie laughed, and poured another three bowls for her pokemon. After the fourth bowl, the Entei decided it had drank enough, and retreated back to it's bed, licking its lips for any food left there.  
  
After a moment, Maddie looked down at the bowl and frowned. Then, she shook her head. No, this bowl would be just for Entei. She could make another one later. For now, she was perfectly able to drink out of the carton, like she had before. She shrugged, drank her fill, then set the milk down with the rest of the food. She yawned, and lay down next to her Entei for a moment, smiling and looking up at the clouds.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
A few hours later, Maddie was jolted back to her senses when Entei walked over and stepped on her stomach.  
  
'You're heavy!' She exclaimed, picking her pokemon up.   
  
It growled at her playfully, and squirmed out of her grip. She put it down, then turned to rummage through her stuff. After a moment she pulled out a tattered grey bag, which looked badly made and very worn out. She had found it a while ago, but had never used it. Now, she could.  
  
Lifting the baby Entei, she placed it in the bag, then lifted it over her shoulder. As worn out as it was, it held. Entei was able to sit down, yet still watch what was going on.  
  
She walked up the alleyways, gradually making her way to the main road. It was very busy now, and many people were wandering down the road. Maddie smiled. Today, she would start properly caring for her pokemon.  
  
She stepped into the Goldenrod Pokemon Mart, and made her way up the stairs. She walked up to the man who was behind the counter and asked to see what he was selling.  
  
The man paused a moment, then showed his goods.  
  
Maddie blanched. These were so expensive! She looked down at the few coins she held in her hand, every bit saved from a young age. Now she remembered why she had stayed away from here.  
  
She shook her head, and retreated down the stairs, then fled out the door. Maddie bit her lip.   
  
'I guess I'll have to make you your stuff.' She commented, not ready to rely on theiving as a source of income.  
  
Maddie slowly made her way back down the alleyway, scouring the walls for wood, cardboard, plastic - anything that might be made into something useful.   
  
At last she returned to her place, armed with a large bundle of materials. She was suprised at what she had found, and realised that she had never looked for that sort of stuff before. Considering the amount laying around, she doubted anyone else did, either.  
  
In her bundle were 7 sturdy planks of wood, 2 sheets of plastic, one small, one very large, and three thick cardboard boxes. She put her materials down, then turned to fetch a broken gate she had noticed as she passed a side alley.  
  
It was difficult to lift, but somehow she managed it, ending up dragging it back to her place.  
  
She looked at her spoils, and began to assemble the planks of wood in a kind of shelter for her Entei. Leaning up against the wall, with one heavy plank to keep them in place, the planks made a satisfactory 'house'.  
  
She placed the sheet of plastic on top of the wood, and while it had a few holes, it generally made a fairly rain-proof shelter for her pokemon.  
  
She placed a cardboard box on the ground underneath, to soften and warm the hard, cold ground. On top of that lay Entei's blankets, making a home that Maddie was jealous of.  
  
'You lucky thing!' She whispered to Entei as it climbed into it's bed. It yipped a greeting, then fell asleep. Maddie smiled, then got to work on her own shelter.  
  
It was much the same as her pokemon's, the gate used instead of the planks. Unfortunately, the top was rounded, and it rolled onto it's side, making it difficult to use as a roof. But it was all she had. She used the large sheet of plastic to partly cover the gate, even though it had many holes, and would let as much rain in as it would keep out. She shrugged, and resumed her building. It had begun to drizzle, and while she moved as quickly as she could, the cardboard boxes were a bit soggy before she got them under the shelter of the gate.  
  
Maddie yawned, and crawled inside the shelter. It wasn't much - rain came in from every side, but at least it kept out more than just a cardboard box. She looked over at Entei's shelter - It was holding the rain off fairly well. Maddie smiled, an occurrance which until recently, happened rarely. Now, she seemed to smiled every time she glanced at Entei.  
  
She yawned, and curled up, ignoring the rain as she always had, slowly falling asleep despite the awful conditions.  
  
One day it will get better. She thought, as she fell asleep. In fact, it's already starting. 


	4. Chapter 4

Silent Skies  
  
Chapter 4  
  
----  
  
-A few days later-  
  
Maddie woke aprubtly as a beam of sunlight hit her directly in the eye. She groaned and turned over, accidentally knocking the gate-roof out of the way.  
  
She sat up, and pulled it back into place. A few rough, carved bowls lay on the ground, result of the last few days' experimenting.  
  
The girl stood up, and turned to the smaller shelter beside her. Entei was already awake, staring at her from the warmth of it's shelter.  
  
She leaned down and picked him up, replacing the wood and plastic as Entei's struggling inevitably knocked it over too.  
  
She dropped him into her bag, which suddenly made a ripping noise. Her hands flew beneath it, ready to catch Entei if he fell out the bottom, but nothing happened. Maddie looked at the bag, and saw another few stitches had pulled out.   
  
Looking down at her little pokemon, she frowned. He was so thin, barely half the size he should be, and yet he was growing so fast, even in the few days she had him. She was having trouble feeding him, and often went without much herself.  
  
Maddie sighed, and smiled regretfully, wondering if it would have been better for her to have not found Entei, and then shook her head. No, he was almost dead there. She breifly considered bringing him to a Pokemon center, but they didn't sustain your pokemon, just healed them from battle wounds.  
  
Battle wounds. She stopped. How did most trainers make money for the expensive pokemon training gear? Battling. Her eyes darted to Entei, and then frowned. No. He was far too young.  
  
But she couldn't go on like this.  
  
She scooped out her life savings of coins. She counted them quickly. Three hundred and twenty one.  
  
Holding her head high, she made her way along the alleys until she came to the Underground passage. She had avoided this place before, from rumours that you needed a strong pokemon, but she needed it now. Things were cheaper down there, and that's what she needed.  
  
As she stepped down the stairs, a hand went to cover her bag. If anybody knew she had an Entei, he would be gone within the minute.  
  
Maddie walked down the center of the passage, watching everyone warily.  
  
'Herbs! Cheap herbs!'   
  
'Haircuts! Make your pokemon love you!'  
  
'Clothes!'  
  
She stopped at the last one, glancing over at the vendor who had called the word she had wanted to hear.  
  
'You're selling clothes?'  
  
'Yis, I am indeed.' He said, grinning. 'What takes your likin', ma'am?'  
  
She glanced over his shoulder, trying to ignore his expression which clearly was disbelieving she had enough money. She pointed to a simple light-blue shirt, and a pair of khaki shorts.  
  
'How much are those?' She asked.  
  
'Weel- The shirt is 53, and the shorts ah.. 57.' He said.  
  
Maddie frowned. 110 for both? That was too much. At least on her budget.  
  
'I'll give you 60. For both of them.'  
  
The shopkeeper grimaced. 'There is no way ahm lettin em go for less than 95.'  
  
'65, then.'  
  
'80. No lower.'  
  
'72. My final offer.'  
  
'75 and you can have em.'  
  
'Alright. 75.'  
  
She smiled slightly as she handed over the coins. She had no idea, really, how well she'd bartered, but seeing the shopkeepers slightly unhappy look, decided she hadn't done too badly.  
  
She received a paper package, and nodded, turning away. She made her way up the stairs again, re-counting her money. 246 left. Well, that might actually get her somewhere.  
  
Maddie was suddenly interrupted by a squirming and tearing of the bag that hung from her shoulder. She lunged to grap Entei, but he slipped from her grasp, and tumbled down the stairs, whining pitifully.  
  
She gasped, and ran after it, trying not to trip herself.  
  
A lanky young man watched her, then stepped over to pick up Entei from the stairs. He didn't even glance at the pokemon again, and Maddie hoped desperately he wouldn't be able to tell what it was.  
  
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, swallowing uncomfortably.  
  
'Give it back.' She said.  
  
'Oh, really.'  
  
Maddie swallowed.  
  
'Give it back.' She repeated.  
  
'Why?' He taunted.   
  
'Because.'  
  
'That's no reason.'  
  
'So?'  
  
'Why?'  
  
She scowled in frustration. Breifly she considered snatching the Entei from underneath his arm, and running, but she wasn't good enough at that.  
  
When she didn't reply, he stepped beside her, and walked up the stair.  
  
Maddie clenched her teeth in frustration, and walked after him.  
  
When they reached the top, he turned to her.  
  
'Come with me.'  
  
She stared at him, eyes narrowed. Without waiting for an answer, he strode around a corner. She followed him, but no plan for escape could formulate in her mind.  
  
At last, he stopped, and leaned against the wall.  
  
'You're a pretty girl.' He said. Maddie scowled at him, but her heart was sinking.  
  
'Where'd you get it?' He asked, indicating the Entei. It was struggling, but the man's grip held it secure.  
  
'None of your business.' She snapped, still hoping he hadn't recognised it.  
  
'A lovely creature. Skinny, underfed, fleas.' He said, sarcasm in his voice.  
  
'Give. It. Back.' Maddie repeated.  
  
The man shook his head in mock dissaproval.   
  
'I'm Will.' He said, after a pause. 'You really should find a better way to keep your pokemon.'  
  
He lifted the Entei, looked at it, then handed it to Maddie. She took it quickly, then stared at him in disbelief.  
  
'Thankyou, Will.' She said after a moment, exaddgerating his name as though it was an unnessecary title. 'I'll be going now.'  
  
She turned, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Maddie whipped around.  
  
'But I don't know your name.' He protested mildly.  
  
'Maddie. Goodbye.'  
  
'Maddie. That's a nice name.' Will looked at her mildly. 'Here.'  
  
She stopped, uncomprehending for a few moments. Then, she realised he was handing some coins out to her.  
  
'Why?' She stuttered, still staring at them.  
  
'Because it needs a bath.' He said jokingly.   
  
She paused a moment more, then took the coins.  
  
'Thankyou.' Maddie said, noticing for the first time his clothes, which were simple, but well made.  
  
She turned to go, and this time he did not stop her. 


	5. Chapter 5

Silent Skies  
  
Chapter 5  
  
----  
  
Maddie sat down, holding her Entei closely. She had nearly lost him! It squirmed uncomfortably, and she reluctantly let it go.   
  
Finally, she turned to the small pile of stuff which lay at her feet. The brown paper package of the clothes, a simple black brush, two bars of soap, a blue ribbon, a small purse and a new bag. She counted her money again. There was 624 coins there. She stared at it disbeleiving for a moment. That Will must have given her near 500 coins.  
  
Maddie tucked the money into the small purse, and put that into the bag. She had made sure the bag was large enough for Entei, although he was growing so quickly, and she doubted he would be able to fit in any bag soon enough.  
  
She stuffed the clothes, brush, soap and ribbon into the bag, and stood up. Entei stopped his snuffling around the area and stepped over to her side.  
  
The teenage girl made her way around a few corners, making sure Entei could follow her, until she was suddenly stopped by Jay.  
  
'Maddie.'  
  
'Jay.'  
  
She watched his eyes shift to the obviously new bag on her shoulder.  
  
He opened his mouth to comment, but before he could, little Entei padded into view. He stepped back, and his fire pokemon barked shrilly.  
  
'When did you get a pokemon?' He asked, almost jealously.  
  
'A few days ago.' Maddie said, trying not to sound smug.  
  
'It's a nice one.' Jay commented.  
  
'Yeah.' She said. 'Although it's growing really fast.'  
  
As she said this, she noticed her once tiny Entei now reached up to her knee.  
  
'Well, I've got to go now.' Street kids rarely had places to go.  
  
'Alright.' He said reluctantly, then turned to his fire pokemon, and the two of them passed Maddie and Entei by.  
  
She patted Entei, a bit stiffly, then continued to make her way along the alleyways.  
  
A few minutes later, she emerged near the south of the city, walking down towards the Day Care centre. She turned, instead, to her right, and made her way down to the small waterfront there. Glancing back at Entei, she waded into the water a little ways.  
  
Entei stopped at the water's edge, and eyed it suspiciously.   
  
'Come on.' She said, smiling.  
  
It stepped into the water, then leapt out, whimpering. That's right. He was a fire pokemon.  
  
Maddie bit her lip, then went over to pick it up.  
  
'You're going to have to learn to like it, pup.' She said, but she didn't put him down again. Instead she waded along the bank for a ways, going past areas that were inpassable by land.   
  
At last she stopped on a little grassy hillock that dipped into the water.  
  
She placed Entei onto the grass with her bag, then layed back into the water. This time it didn't matter if her clothes got soaked. She had new ones.  
  
Maddie floated for a while, letting the hard life of the street kid ebb away into the clear water.  
  
Before she knew it, Entei was paddling beside her, seeming to get over his aversion to water. She grinned and sat up, giving him a big, wet, hug.  
  
He growled at her playfully, his long fur flat splayed out in the water, making him appear like some sort of wooly water monster.   
  
Maddie reached for her soap, and gave Entei a good clean. She was suprised how dirty he really was, and when he was clean, he was a magnificent, russet red. She smiled in pride. No wonder nobody knew what he was.  
  
She then took off her own clothes, and soaped herself down, cleaning her hair like she never had before.  
  
At last, she got out of the water, and realised she had nothing to dry herself with. Shrugging, she tore open the package and pulled out the clothes. Here in the sunlight they were even more lovely.  
  
She pulled on the shirt and the shorts, feeling very clean. Her hair was another problem. Once blond, it was now a dirty brown. She pulled the brush through it a few times, then getting nowhere, decided to tie it up. She grabbed the ribbon and tied her hair into a ponytail, smiling.  
  
Maddie looked in her bag. Just the purse and brush there, plus the last bar of soap. She had used the first one completely.  
  
She lay on the hillock, warming herself in the sun. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into sleep.  
  
A few moments later, she was awakened by a still-wet Entei, snuffling over her face.  
  
She sat up, and spluttered slightly, then looked over to her little pokemon. She suddenly forgot about her wet face, and her heart warmed.  
  
He had obviously gone swimming again, and his fur was flopped over his face. He couldn't see.  
  
She smiled, and grabbed the brush. If it wouldn't work on her, how about him?  
  
Luckily, it didn't take too much effort to pull the brush through his fur. When she was done, he looked so magnificent that she laughed in suprise.  
  
Almost immediately, she stopped, and wondered were that came from. She hadn't laughed, for as long as she could remember. She had never laughed, until now.  
  
Picking him up, she slowly made her way back to the other bank, and passed by the Day Care centre smiling.  
  
She even found the courage to walk down the main street, where nobody sent even a dissaproving look her way. Her new life was just beginning, and she would make sure she never had to go back to her old one.   
  
With Entei held tightly in her hands, she stepped into the Pokemon centre. It was a little busier today, and she had to wait a moment until the previous person had finished healing his pokemon.  
  
'May I help you?' The nurse asked, smiling at her. For a moment, Maddie was shocked into silence at her friendliness, then realised she looked like a regular Goldrenrod visitor.  
  
She lifted Entei onto the counter, and the nurse stopped.   
  
'Oh! I remember you!' She said, somewhat less cheerfully than she intented. Her eyes glanced up at Maddie's atire, but found it to her liking, and her face relaxed into a natural smile.  
  
Examining the Entei, she frowned.  
  
Maddie stopped. 'What's wrong?'  
  
'Nothing. He's underfed, but perfectly healthy. I was wondering why you brought him here.'  
  
'Oh.' Maddie paused. 'The truth is, I need some tips on how to start as a pokemon trainer.'  
  
The nurse looked slightly suprised, then nodded.  
  
'Alright, come with me.' She said. She indicated to another nurse who was in the hallway. The second nurse slid up to the front and began to help the next person. Maddie suddenly realised that there was more than one nurse, and perhaps it was just her luck she got the same one. Good or bad, she couldn't decide.  
  
They entered a room, and the nurse brought out a box.  
  
'Firstly, do you have a belt, or pokegear?'   
  
Maddie shook her head.  
  
'Alright, well, you need one of these.' She pulled out a brown belt, and placed it on the table.   
  
'Pokeballs clip onto this.' She said, producing a pokeball and attaching it to the belt.  
  
Maddie nodded, and, despite herself, was quite enthralled by all this technology.  
  
'A pokegear is also very useful.' She pulled out a little machine. 'Cards can be inserted to give you a map, the radio and so forth.'  
  
'These are pokeballs.' The nurse said, holding up two. 'Once you unclip them from your belt, they become larger, and then, if you press this button, you summon the pokemon you have within it.'  
  
Maddie nodded, and the nurse continued to show her the basics of pokemon training.  
  
'And this is a pokedex.' She said. 'Although you will have to get one of these from Professor Oak.'  
  
Entei whined slightly, clearlu getting bored.  
  
'Alright,' Maddie said. 'How much are they?'  
  
The nurse stood up.  
  
'Well, the belt and two pokeballs are courtesy of us,' She started. 'More pokeballs are 200 from the 'mart. The pokegear is 600.'  
  
Maddie nodded, but before she could say anything, the nurse continued.  
  
'You'll need to keep him in a pokeball.' She said, indicating Entei.  
  
Maddie frowned. 'Do I have to?' She asked, sounding very whiny.  
  
'Well, it's really up to you.' The nurse said. 'And another thing. If you choose to go out of Goldenrod, you can always gain lodging at any house along the way. Most people are willing to let a pokemon trainer stay.'  
  
Maddie nodded.   
  
'Okay. Can I just have the belt, and pokeballs.' She asked.   
  
'Of course.' The nurse reached down, and then pulled out three belts.  
  
'The black one, please.' Maddie said.  
  
The nurse put back the other two, and pulled out two pokeballs.  
  
'Thankyou.' Maddie said, attaching the pokeballs to the belt and lifting the belt, which was suprisingly light.  
  
She left the room, with Entei following quietly. When she reached the door, she waved to the nurse, who looked a bit startled, then waved back.  
  
Maddie grinned, and stepped out into a world with so many more possibilities. 


End file.
